


Heart's Mysteries

by LadyLaran



Category: Sherlock (TV), The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Eventual Romance, F/F, M/M, NSFW, female Bagginshield
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-24
Updated: 2018-10-07
Packaged: 2018-12-06 06:32:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11594889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyLaran/pseuds/LadyLaran
Summary: When her father had passed, Wilhelmina Watson had reached out to her cousin, John Watson, for help as she had to sell her home to cover the medical bills.  Thanks to his work and Mrs. Hudson, she is now living in 221C.  John notices that his cousin, nicknamed Bilbo, is not the bubbly character she usually is.  He hopes to help her through whatever has hurt her, but her past will not remain hidden as the one who had broken her heart returns in need of the formidable skill of Sherlock Holmes.





	1. Homecoming

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s Note – I got bit with this other night, and the wombat is not wanting to let go. It’s very much not quite my normal style, and I see it as a challenge. We shall see how it turns out. I’m doing this for FemBagginshield Week on Tumblr. This will be slow on updates as I’ve got other projects to focus on, but I will keep the updates going as I can.
> 
> Warnings – Crossover, gender-bending, alternate universe for both Hobbit and Sherlock, and reincarnation. 
> 
> Disclaimer – I do not own “the Hobbit” or “Sherlock.” I don’t make money from this either.

“Is that everything?”

John’s cousin looked up from where she had been stacking boxes and gave him a tired smile and nod. 

“It is,” she answered, stretching and wincing when she felt her spine pop. “I’m glad your landlady was willing to get the flat lined out for me so quickly.”

“When she heard of the problem, she was happy to help. Mrs. Hudson is a gem,” the former soldier told her. “Why don’t we pop up to my flat, have some tea, and call for a take-away? We’re both knackered, and you probably forgot to eat again.”

She blushed, a delicate shade of pink rising in her cheeks, and he gently guided her out of the flat and up the stairs to 221B.

“I got busy,” she admitted. “Having to pack up the house, transfer services, and ensuring my clients knew I would be unavailable for a few days kept me rather occupied.”

“It used to be that auntie never had to worry about your appetite,” he said, looking worried. “University certainly left changes on you, Bilbo, and it seems to have gotten worse while I was away.”

“Growing up usually does,” Bilbo answered, looking down for a moment before following him into his flat.

“John, I asked you for the laptop ages ago,” a man stated from his reclined position on the sofa.

“I haven’t been home all day, Sherlock,” John sighed, shaking his head. “I told you several days ago that I’d be helping my cousin move today. I even reminded you this morning before I left.”

“Did you,” he asked, sitting up as he heard an unexpected voice ask a question.

“Is he always like this,” Bilbo asked her cousin.

“I’m afraid so,” the doctor answered, giving a smile when he heard her giggle. 

Sherlock rose to his feet, eyeing the woman standing beside his flatmate. She was slightly shorter than John but had the same blue eyes and shared similar facial features. She was also blond, wearing it long to where it fell to her shoulder blades, and it was curly where her cousin’s was straight. The woman had pale skin, near porcelain, and he knew it would not take a tan like John’s was able to. 

After picking up the noticeable physical similarities, Sherlock began truly observing. He could tell she enjoyed tea, spotted the ink on her fingers from books, and noticed many other facts about the small female. 

“Sherlock, this is my cousin, Wilhelmina Watson. Bilbo, this is my flatmate and friend, Sherlock Holmes.”

The introduction pulled him away from his observations, and he gave a nod as she addressed him.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Holmes. John has spoken a great deal about you,” she said with a gentle smile that reminded him a great deal of his flatmate’s smile.

“Sherlock, please,” he answered. “I take it you’ve taken Mrs. Hudson’s spare flat?”

“I have,” she replied. “She was kind enough to have it repaired for my use when John mentioned I needed a place to live.”

“We’re about to call for take-away,” John said, guiding his cousin to the chair he usually sat on when in the living room. “Anything you want?”

“Indian?”

When she nodded at the questioning look from her cousin, the doctor nodded as well.

“Sounds good,” he said. “Your usual?”

“Hmm, yes and extra naan,” the consulting detective stated, sinking back down onto the sofa. 

“Bilbo?”

“Butter chicken, please,” she asked. “Let me go get my wallet.”

“You can get it next time,” John said, waving off the concerned look. 

“If you’re sure,” Bilbo murmured, knowing John was under financial difficulties due to having to leave the military as he had as well as the restrictions he’d been under that hadn’t allowed him to start working once he’d left hospital.

“I am,” he said, patting her shoulder before going to get the take-away menu from the drawer he and Sherlock kept them in.

Once alone, she became aware of the intense stare on her and met the heterochromatic gaze fearlessly. Bilbo had become used to stares like this over the years and had learned to meet them without showing weakness. 

“John’s spoken quite a bit about you,” she said to him.

“Has he?”

“Yes, he has,” she answered with a nod. “I was rather worried about him after he was invalided out of the military; he enjoyed working with RAMC and to lose it as well as his ability to practice surgery had him in a tailspin. Papa and I tried to convince him to come home, but he said he didn’t want to be a burden. You helped him find himself again, and I am grateful to you for that.”

“I suspect he would have found it eventually; he is brighter than most,” Sherlock admitted, watching her as she responded.

“Oh I know he would have,” Bilbo agreed. “John is much stronger than he appears, but even the strongest souls need time to recover. He’s always been the one we could always rely on to lead us on our adventures as children.”

“No, you were the strong one,” John answered, stealing Sherlock’s usual chair. “No matter what crazy ideas I’d come up with, you were right beside me even when you were frightened by the idea originally.”

The detective could see doubt and pain fill the blue eyes that were remarkably like his friend’s; he could see the concern on John’s face and knew he’d seen it too.

“Not really,” she answered, forcing herself to smile. “I just followed along because I wanted to be like my cousins.”

“Not how I remember it,” the doctor chuckled. “Harry and I were moved into our aunt and uncle’s house when we were children after our parents died in a car crash. We weren’t taking it well and didn’t respond much to anyone. I don’t think we’d been there for long before Bilbo came into my room, climbed onto the bed and poked me with a book, demanding I read to her. She wound up hitting me with it when I refused.”

“I was three,” she protested, blushing when Sherlock laughed at the tale. “All I knew was that Mama and Papa had said I needed to help them smile.”

“By hitting me with a book?”

The Union Jack pillow went sailing across the room, hitting the laughing John in the face. The taller male shook his head slightly, realizing that the keen eye and marksmanship was another trait handed down in the Watson family.

To Sherlock’s surprise, he rather enjoyed sharing the meal with their guest. Usually, he preferred eating with John whenever he did eat but Wilhelmina Watson was witty and kind, interested in the stories of his old cases and often coming up with comments that showed a very intelligent mind. There was something about her that was familiar in a way, but he was unable to determine what it was. 

Once she had departed for the night, carrying her leftovers and biding them both a pleasant evening, the detective turned to find his friend watching him.

“What do you think?”

“She’s uncommonly clever,” he shared, sipping his drink. “It’s obvious she favors you a great deal in appearance and intelligence. I do believe she’s gone through something that has marked her deeply. She hides it rather well so I would have to observe her further to try to determine what it is that has had such an effect on her.”

“Bilbo isn’t as bright as she used to be,” John murmured, taking a slow sip of his beer. “She used to be incandescent around people. The recent loss of her dad didn’t help, but I noticed it in her letters during my time overseas. She always wrote twice a week, never missing at all, but her letters went from her usual bright tones to something darker. I never could get her to answer me when I asked what was wrong, and she still hasn’t spoken of it.”

“Has she told anything to your sister?”

“She rarely talks to Harry anymore and avoids her more than I do,” he sighed. “Harry went off on her for being selfish when Bilbo started her own business, putting what funds she had into that instead of helping Harry with something she wanted. One of the times Bilbo called me while I was stationed overseas, it’d been after that fight and she’d been incredibly upset. I told her she was doing the right thing since she has a great deal of talent and this business was something she’d been wanting for a long time. So I suggested she ignore Harry whenever possible.”

“Your cousin is closer to you than your own sister,” Sherlock observed.

“She is,” the physician agreed. “I never saw her as a cousin, just another sister. I connected to her fairly quickly when we moved to my aunt and uncle’s home; it was like I had known her for years.”

“Something familiar even if you don’t know what it is exactly,” the genius stated.

“Exactly,” John exclaimed. “I never questioned it; we just gravitated towards each other. She never let me slip away when I went to university, and she didn’t argue with me when I enlisted. Bilbo said I needed to have my adventures and do the right thing. The only thing she asked was that I made sure to take care of myself too while taking care of others.”

“Where did the name Bilbo come from,” he asked, setting his empty glass down. “I can somewhat understand Bill as a nickname for Wilhelmina but not Bilbo.”

“We’d been living at our aunt’s for about half a year, and she had been pouting because she didn’t like the nickname one of our aunt’s family members tried to foist on her. Willy didn’t suit, and she hated it with a passion. She was upset, hiding in a corner, so I went after her and tried to cuddle her out of her bad mood. I knew Bill was another nickname for William, which somewhat applied to her name, and for some reason, the name Bilbo slipped out. To this day, I don’t know why but it suited her so we kept it.”

“It certainly is unusual,” Sherlock commented, frowning a bit. “Familiar too but I’m not certain why. It’s a not a name I have come across over the years.”

“Same,” he agreed. “It suited her, and she loved it from the first time I mentioned it. Everyone picked up on it rather quickly, and it was rare to hear her full name while we were growing up.”

“I am sure we will discover why it seems so familiar in time,” the detective said, still frowning. “As well as why I had a feeling I had met her before when I know I have not.”

“At least it isn’t just me,” John sighed. “In the meantime, I’ll see what I can do to find out what it is that has my cousin under such a shadow. I’d rather have her back to her usual self; I don’t like seeing her like this.”

“It will reveal itself in time,” Sherlock stated, knowing he would be watching for clues to that as well. 

“You won’t mind if she spends time up here whenever shes not working?”

“I find her presence similar to yours,” he answered. “She’s welcome in 221B.”

John’s smile turned into laughter as his friend continued.

“At least one of us has a family member that’s tolerable,” the genius grumbled, picking up his mobile and hiding the smile at the laughter that came from his friend.


	2. Disturbing Meetings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note – It’s been a while since I posted this; stress and IRL issues were simply too much for me to try to focus on writing. It sucks because this is my way of destressing and working through issues. Thank you all for being so patient.
> 
> Disclaimer – I do not own “Sherlock” or “the Hobbit.” I don’t make money from this story either. The song used in this chapter belongs to Enya, titled “On Your Shore” from her album titled “Watermark.” I don’t own it either, but it worked for what I needed in this story.

Bilbo had spent the next few days unpacking, hoping to get her flat arranged before she was due to start working again. Fortunately, her clients were understanding of the problem and were willing to wait for their projects to be finished. John came down to help her with the onerous tasks whenever he was free to do so, and she would often hear Sherlock playing at odd hours of the day or night. Oddly enough, hearing the dulcet tones of the violin eased her loneliness when it tried to hit and it wasn’t unusual for her to open the door to her flat so she could hear the beautiful songs easier. Her landlady, she noticed, was also in the habit of doing the same thing.

She hadn’t been in her flat more than a few days when she had a rather disturbing meeting that was not only unscheduled but also incredibly uncomfortable. Bilbo had come out of her room one morning, heading to the kitchen to make tea when she found a strange man sitting in her living room.

“Good morning,” he greeted, blinking when the young woman grabbed an umbrella and shifted into a defensive position. “I am not here to harm you, Miss Watson. I am here to meet you as you are living in close proximity to Sherlock Holmes.”

Bilbo tilted her head for a moment, eyeing the man for a long moment as she took in the features of the stranger. The name of her uninvited guest quickly popped up in her memory, and she lowered her umbrella.

“You must be Mycroft Holmes,” she stated, catching him by surprise. 

“I am,” he answered, gesturing for her to take a seat. “I take it John has spoken of me?”

“He mentioned you have a penchant for kidnapping unsuspecting people along with a terminal case of nosiness,” the blond woman answered, sitting down with the umbrella within reach. “If I find any of your snooping gadgets here, Mr. Holmes, you will not like the consequences.”

“John has already made his own threats regarding security and your privacy,” Mycroft said with a slight smile. “The only cameras near your flat watch the doors and windows in order to ensure the safety of the people within this building.”

“Please ensure it stays that way,” Bilbo requested in a stern tone. “I’m not comfortable having my private life viewed by strangers. So you came by to meet me because I live in the same building as your brother?”

“That is one of the reasons, yes,” he answered. “I am also aware of the business you run and would like to become one of your clients.”

“According to my cousin, you work for our government,” she said softly. “Surely you have other more qualified people for this kind of thing?”

“I do but not with the finesse you possess,” he replied. “Most of my staff who is employed for the kind of work you do tend to rush, and I need someone who takes more care.”

“I don’t travel,” Bilbo warned. “I prefer to work from home, and I usually work with clients when they come to London and need me.”

“That is exactly what I am in need of,” he assured her. “I will not ask for you to travel. What you will be asked to work with will be documents. I’ve already vetted you and gotten you the security clearance needed for this position.”

“It will need to be a legitimate emergency if you need something rushed,” she informed him. “I take things in the order they come, and my clients respect that.”

Mycroft nodded, accepting that as well. He’d seen examples of her work and knew she was one of the best in her field. The government official knew he was fortunate to have her agree to take him on as a client.

“All right then, Mr. Holmes, you have a deal,” Bilbo said. “I have a contract I can email to you that explains my guidelines and fees if you will provide an address I can send it to.”

He rose, handing her a card that contained the information she needed.

“I will be looking for it, Miss Watson, and it will be sent to your home via courier once I have an opportunity to look the contract over. I do appreciate your willingness to take me on as a client.”

Bilbo accepted the card, watching as the tall man left her flat. She could hear her cousin’s voice and sighed, waiting for a few moments before John popped his head in the doorway.

“Everything all right, Bilbo?”

“I think he wanted to get a chance to meet me,” she answered. “I’m fine; he just startled me. I wasn’t expecting him to be in my flat first thing in the morning.”

“He tends to do that,” her cousin stated. “The man has an annoying talent for showing up when he isn’t wanted or needed.”

“That reminds me, thank you for warning him about not putting cameras or audio recorders in here,” Bilbo said with a smile. “He assured me the only cameras will be on the doors and windows, nothing inside the flat.”

“I had that conversation with him after you made the decision to move here,” John answered. “We find cameras and other gadgets of his all over the place in our flat, and I didn’t want you having to deal with the same thing. You’re entitled to your privacy, and I won’t let him violate that if I can help it.”

“I imagine he does that to annoy his brother as well as try to show his concern; I do think he could go about it in a better way,” she said. “Quick change of topic but have you two eaten breakfast?”

“Not yet, why,” he asked, grinning when he heard her answer.

“I thought I’d cook as a thank you for the help,” Bilbo told him. “I’m certain your flatmate wouldn’t mind a homemade breakfast? I was thinking pancakes and sausages.”

“He has a sweet tooth,” John admitted with a laugh. “He’ll come down for your pancakes; I’ve been talking about them since you decided to move here.”

“Let me get dressed, and I’ll get started on it,” she promised, heading to her bedroom to do just that.

The physician hurried upstairs to retrieve his flatmate, who had been remarkably interested in eating when he heard that Bilbo was making pancakes for breakfast. John had known he would and just smiled as they headed downstairs.

They arrived in her flat to hear one of Bilbo’s favorite channels on Pandora playing, and her soft soprano singing along with a song John recognized. 

“Strange how my heart beats to find myself upon your shore. Strange how I still feel my loss of comfort gone before. Cool waves wash over and drift away with dreams of youth. So time is stolen  
I cannot hold you long enough. And so this is where I should be now - days and nights falling by,  
days and nights falling by me. I know of a dream I should be holding - days and nights falling by,  
days and nights falling by me. Soft blue horizons reach far into my childhood days. As you are rising  
to bring me my forgotten ways. Strange how I falter to find I'm standing in deep water. Strange how my heart beats to find I'm standing on your shore.”

The physician recognized Enya’s lyrics, remembering how Bilbo would often buy any new albums the artist released because she identified with the songs so much. He’d heard her sing Enya’s works before, but he could hear a deeper emotion in his cousin’s voice. It was something that spoke of heartbreak but not the kind due to loss of family. 

Someone had broken his Bilbo’s heart, and the thought infuriated him to the point where he wanted to find the sod who had done that and beat them until they understood why they didn’t deserve the treasure that was his beloved cousin.

A touch to his shoulder pulled him from his rage, and he swallowed it down when he saw the look on Sherlock’s face. His friend had come to the same conclusion, and the detective was concerned because he had seen the murderous expression that had come to his face when he’d realized what had been causing his cousin to lose her light.

John managed to calm himself, pushing the anger down for now, and he shook his head. 

“We’ll talk later,” he said. “I don’t want to bring this up in front of her if I can avoid it right now. I need to find a way to open the discussion without bringing her too much pain.”

Sherlock nodded, squeezing his shoulder just once before calling out to Bilbo. He was giving John a chance to regain his equilibrium.

“Something smells rather delicious,” he said, speaking truthfully since the scents wafting from the kitchen were very enticing.

“Thank you, Sherlock,” she called back. “You two have a seat at the table. Tea?”

“Yes please,” the detective answered, taking a seat as she had instructed.

Soon, the table held a platter of pancakes, a plate of sausages, and plenty of syrup to satisfy even Sherlock’s sweet tooth. Tea was soon poured and doctored, and Bilbo waited until both men had served themselves before doing the same for herself.

After they had been eating for a few moments, she broke her silence, setting her tea cup down.

“I met your brother this morning,” Bilbo told Sherlock, who made a face.

“Overbearing, cake eating,” he grumbled, voice trailing off for a moment. “I suppose he was trying to get an opinion of the new neighbor?”

“Something like that,” she answered. “Fortunately, John had already threatened him if he tried to put any recording equipment in my flat. I have been assured that the only cameras would be outside, focused on the windows and doors in case of someone trying to break in.”

“That’s a remarkable show of restraint,” the curly haired male stated, looking a bit stunned.

“I only threatened to shove his umbrella so far up his arse that it would take a specialized proctologist and plastic surgeon to ensure he could sit down normally,” John said with a grim smile. 

Both Sherlock and Bilbo stared at him for several moments before both spoke at the same time.

“John Hamish, you didn’t!?”

“Truly John? Oh I would have loved to have seen that!”

The physician winced at the use of his middle name; it was rare his cousin used it. He met her eyes, tilting his head just a bit.

“You may be my cousin, Wilhelmina Watson, but you are as dear to me as my own sister, if not more so,” he told her. “I won’t tolerate your privacy being violated; this is your home, and he damn well better respect it. No one upsets my sisters.”

A pleased blush covered her cheeks, and she just smiled at John.

“My brave warrior,” she said softly. “You won’t always be able to slay the dragons that come my way.”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t try,” he answered, giving Sherlock the feeling that the two cousins had shared this particular part of the conversation before.

“I know,” Bilbo told him, smile saddening for a moment. “But sometimes, the dragon’s armor is just too thick.”

“If you can’t get through the door, go through the bloody window,” the doctor said, making her laugh. “Now, let’s enjoy this breakfast and then we can see what needs to be done today to help you finish unpacking.”

Just like that, it seemed John had somewhat relaxed after her agreement but Sherlock knew his friend better than that. The smaller male was dealing with coiled anger, and he would have to do something to help him before John exploded in a way that would hurt someone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s End Notes – Ending is a bit darker than I thought it would be, but it seems John’s protective mode simply didn’t want to be shut down. I’m sorry I had to make you all wait so long, and I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. Please let me know what you thought. See you next time! ~Laran

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s End Note – I hope you all enjoyed the first installment! Please let me know what you thought of it. I’m not sure what the length of this story will be; it’ll be a mystery and romance so it should be fun. See everyone next time! ~ Laran


End file.
